[pdma]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

You will have to do the 3rd Servicing at 30K Kms or within 2 years(whichever comes earlier). Based on your current ODO, I think it would be better to do the complete servicing before hitting the 30K Kms than waiting till Feb 2017.

Hello Arun,

I bought the car in the last week of February 2015.
The second service on the car happened at 14950 KM on 14-Dec-2015.
So 3rd service should be done before 29950 KM / 14-Dec - 2016.

Currently the odo on my car is around 29300KM and I plan to drop the car the coming Monday on 12-Dec-2016 and mostly the Odo would be around 29600 KM so both the conditions will be met without any issues .

What I wanted to highlight in my earlier post was the below,

1) Snapshot of 30,000KM - 24 Months



2) Snapshot of 60,000 KM - 48 Months / 24 Months



During the service planned on 12-Dec I intend to get just the regular service done, engine oil, oil filter, air filter etc.., what ever is captured in snapshot 1.

However as practice service center will generally assume that the car has completed 24 months when we go for 30K service and will change all fluids (brake oil, coolant, etc..,) as captured in snapshot 2.

The plan is to take the car to FASC in Feb 2017 when it would be close to 24 months and get all the fluids replaced ( SNO 19, 21, & 22) as per the recommendation in snapshot 2.

By this way I would not be hampering the warranty at the same time I will not be advancing my service schedule and also will be able to split the costs.
This is what I intend to get done, however I did not articulate in a clear fashion and so created some confusion .

PS : I did have a discussion with FASC on the above plan and they are fine with the approach.

Cheers,
Pradeep.

[arun_josie]

Yes, your plan looks fine as per the service details pointed out by you.

But I think they should have mentioned SNO 19, 21, & 22 under 30,000KM - 24 Months servicing details. Why mention it under 60K/48 months servicing details when the duration is actually 24months?!

Or maybe its a typo, instead of 48 months they have mentioned it as 24 months. For pre-facelift models, SNO 19, 21, & 22 were done at 60K/48 months service only.

[pdma]

12-Dec-2016 - 3rd Free Service Update.

Odo reading : 29942 KM.

As planned I took the car for 3rd (Free) service. I was at the service center (AV Motors) by 845 AM way too early due to less than expected traffic, by 9AM the SA came by and the Job card was prepared.

Below are the list of issues that were reported

• ABS & EBD Errors while cranking - check battery health.
• Track change arrow button on steering controls changes source and not the track.
• Driver side seat does not hold height adjusted position for a long time and gets reset automatically after a few weeks.
• Fuel Cap does lock properly.

Other Checks

• Check for health of break pads.
• Check for health of tires.
• Wheel alignment & wheel balancing.

Add On Services

• AC cleaning (debatable) but I let it go as the SA was requesting heavily to get this done, I budged understanding that they need to make some money (no of cars being sold doesn't help ), but I did highlight to him that this was unnecessary.

Pre checks.





The work promptly began by 930AM. The wheels were removed and they were balanced first. I had a chat with the technician and he mentioned that the tyres look good for another 10-15K KM easily, I was happy to hear that (I know expecting 15K is too much), If they can hold well for another 8-10K as well the stock tires would have done their job by then and I would not at all feel bad in changing then.

Pictures of the Tyres (you can notice that one is comparatively new, as one of them was changed due to sidewall cut a few months back, updated in previous posts).





Wheels being balanced



The next check was break pads, the SA said that break pads usually last for 25-28K KM and they will check and replace on need basis. I had a gut feeling that the break pads on my car would last longer as I know how I drive.
As expected when the pads were checked the mechanic confirmed that they would easily last another 5000KM, I should admit I had a wide smile on my face when I heard his statement. So there goes the myth that Fiat break pads last less, as I commented earlier as well it all depends on how the car is driven, for the kind of breaking the car offers 35K KM life line is
definitely pretty good. I will recheck after a few months and take a call during the next free service camp so that I can get some discounts as well.



Moved on to check the battery, the distilled water was topped up and the voltmeter was connected to check. It was showing 12+V when on Ignition and 14+ V when on idle, so the heath looked fine. Tried cranking the engine a few times repeatedly and this time no error (ABS / EBD failures) was observed so I assume that the issue was with distilled water being dried up, however will observe closely over the coming weeks and will update here on the errors when cranking.



@ Ignition



@ Idle



Terminals coated



The regular service was swiftly carried and within no time the 4 filters (Air, Oil, Fuel and Pollen) were replaced, engine oil was changed, and rest of the fluids were topped up in quick succession.

Old AC Filter



Old Air Filter



Oil being changed





MJD without the plastic hood which was removed to allow easy access



Spares that were used







Wheel Alignment was done next. Report attached.



We then moved on to checking the other issues reported, the fuel cap was slightly altered and it closes now without any fuss. There was some adjustment done to the driver seat need to check for a few weeks to confirm if the issue is addressed.
Next on the list was Blue and Me, thankfully the issue replicated, they said a proxy steering would fix the issue which they have performed using a computer and also the steering controls were thoroughly air blown to remove fine dust which may be causing the issue. A few quick tries did not reproduce the issue so I assume this is fixed for now. I have tried to change tracks multiple times on my way back and it worked fine, so far so good.



Steering controls being air cleaned.



Few additional checks were done proactively by the FASC which gave a feel good factor, the door & window channels were thoroughly lubricated.



The metal engine guard got a few adjustments to ensure it is in place and does its job as expected (this is a huge boon as highlighted multiple times).




We went for a good long test run, and the car was at the wash area by 1215 PM. In the next 45 min the car was thoroughly washed, vacuumed, along with the polishing of tires, dashboard and other plastics.



The bill was prepared and the Total Cost was: Rs 7757/-, I paid Rs 600/- extra for that unwanted AC cleaning as a good gesture towards FASC, so technically I would have only spent Rs 7000/- if this job would have been avoided.



All in all a very good experience at the service center, the car is super smooth & silent. Close to 2 years and the car continues to plant a smile on my face and I definetely cherish the moments spent at the wheel .


A quick math (in general)

Total KM : 29,942.

First Service Cost : Rs 0/-

Second Service cost : Rs 6800/-

Thirst Service Cost : Rs 7800/-

Total spent : Rs 14600/-

Cost per KM - 0.48 Paise

As updated earlier as well, I did not get all the fluids (coolant, break oil, Power steering oil etc..,) changed as the car would noy complete 24 months by end of Feb 2017. so I may have to spend around Rs 3500/- then.

My loving stead all set for another amazing year.



Cheers,
Pradeep.

[nibedk]

My car's tires have done 50 K Kms. Went for a service last Saturday and was told the tires should last another 20 K. Anyways 3 years or 60 K kms which ever happens earlier I would change the tires. I use 5 tire rotation and align every 5k. I balance, rotate and align every 10 K. With your driving style should last another 20 K is what I guess

The brakes were changed at 39 K kms and had at least 4-5 K more life but got it changed as I didn't want to risk the disks. Since most of my drive is on highways no point putting my family's safety on line. With your driving style it should last 40 K is what I guess. No doubt your travel within the city is a lot more but your driving style should ensure longer life.

Cheers to you and your impeccably maintained car. Wish you a many more happy miles and smiles PM Anna

[pdma]

Originally Posted by nibedk

My car's tires have done 50 K Kms. Went for a service last Saturday and was told the tires should last another 20 K.

Originally Posted by nibedk

The brakes were changed at 39 K kms and had at least 4-5 K more life but got it changed as I didn't want to risk the disks.

Wow, those are some great numbers for these things to last. Small maintenance gestures do pay off well. Even the tyres on Arun's car are doing good at 70K KM.

Originally Posted by nibedk

Cheers to you and your impeccably maintained car. Wish you a many more happy miles and smiles PM Anna

Thank you Nibed .

Cheers,
Pradeep.

[pdma]

Just couldn't resist sharing this pic.

Collinite 845 wax holding pretty good after 2 months, undoubtedly the best among what I have used till date.



Cheers,
Pradeep.

[Ryuu]

@Pdma -- Well, well. Seems like you and I are facing the exact same issues. I'm facing the seat-height "problem" as well. Although, I wouldn't really call it a problem. I tend to find the perfect position in the process of seat sinking It takes a very long drive to go that down. But if it starts happening soon, then I will show it to them.

By the way, what's a proxy steering?

[pdma]

Originally Posted by Ryuu

@Pdma -- Well, well. Seems like you and I are facing the exact same issues. I'm facing the seat-height "problem" as well. Although, I wouldn't really call it a problem. I tend to find the perfect position in the process of seat sinking It takes a very long drive to go that down. But if it starts happening soon, then I will show it to them.

By the way, what's a proxy steering?

Hello Ryuu,

I guess proxy setting is some kind of reset they perform using a computer.
After the correction was done and the steering controls where throughly air cleaned, the issue that I had earlier in changing the track hasn't repeated so far. The track change buttons are working as expected.

However from the next day post the car returned from service I started experiencing heavy wobbling at speeds around 50kmph, this took me back to FASC last Friday. I will update the details soon.

Cheers,
Pradeep.

[pdma]

As updated above I had noticed excessive shaking of the steering wheel after the car was back from service. Took some time on Friday afternoon and went to FASC to get the wobbling issue checked.
They immediately acknowledged the issue and started the work. It took approximately an hour to identify the exact reason and it turned out to be a bad tyre.
The tyre developed a small air bubble and this was causing the wobble.
The area was marked, and a complaint was raised with GoodYear to check what can be done. I may have to go back to FASC on Monday again when the technician from GoodYear would be present.
Fingers crossed, hope they can give a replacement or an acceptable solution.

Also, the ABS failure error has been coming back, not as frequently as before but occasionally, this means I need to look towards battery replacement as well pretty soon. Let me check what can be done in this case.

Watch carefully the wheels are spinning in the below pic when on the hydraulic fork lift.



The air bubble marked and highlighted so that it can be identified when the technician from GoodYear comes for inspection this week.



I love the attention my car gets at AV Motors,
That's the General Manager Service personally checking the tyre where the problem is.




Let's see what unfolds this week, hoping for the best , as usual will keep the thread updated.

Cheers,
Pradeep.

[pdma]

19-Dec-2016.

Status on Tyre.

Received a call from the GoodYear engineer and to we agreed to meet at 2pm, reached the service center 10 min before the timeline.
The inspection began and after a lot of checks, he said the Tyre is all normal and the very small air pocket highlighted is at a joint which is as expected .
Not a convincing answer for me, FASC did mention earlier that there is a very less chance that GoodYear would honor the warranty.
Anyways the Tyre is safe and can run for another 10k, so I will look to replace the set of all 4 with a brand which can offer unconditional warranty in the coming months. I will check for an alternative for this Tyre as well ( just to be safe and for my own mental peace) in case I have any highway runs.



Status on the Battery.

Well, the car is less than 2 years old, and O usually never miss any of the free check up camps. I do get the battery checked / topped up and less than 2 years and with odo at 30k KM does show that the car runs on a regular basis.
Even though the manufacturer warranty is just for 1 year from the date of delivery, since the car was properly serviced and it was within 2 years from date of delivery, FIAT offered me a goodwill warranty of 50%.
Thanks to AV Motors who proactively followed up and for this to be done.
The catch here as I was told is that the car is less than 2 years old and also the battery was topped up regularly during the camp visits which these guys had a record of.
The new battery was installed and this one comes with a 48 month warranty.

The old battery.



New battery getting in place.





Cheers,
Pradeep.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by pdma

The inspection began and after a lot of checks, he said the Tyre is all normal and the very small air pocket highlighted is at a joint which is as expected.

Standard replies by these company technicians when called for warranty checks.

I went through the same headache with MRF during my small stint with ZLO's.

I had to post here on Team-BHP plus FB also to get justice. Post warranty replacement acknowledgement, went straight and changed to Michelin XM2 and now its been 40K kms (Another 30K kms life left) and total peace of mind now.

So if you have the patience, fight and resolve.

[pdma]

Few days back I was greeted by a flat tyre on the Santro at home. I have put the newly acquired tool into action and the job was done with ease. I did not have time to work on the puncture, will try next time.

Some pics





The release screw to lower the jack.



Cheers,
Pradeep.

[pdma]

The car got some polishing and waxing over the weekend .

The surface were prepared by a proper wash and followed by claying.



The grey shares space with 2 other cars at home, and yes the initial choice of color on the Linea too was white, but the color choice was not available at the time of the deal. Nether less I love this color now.



Once I felt that the surface is ready I went ahead with polishing and the very minor swirls (the car is close to 2 years old). The waxing of the surface followed and I have applied a good 2 coats of Wax with some decent bonding time in between.





I was joined by a fellow fiat owner and we worked on his car too, having some company made things easy. We shared the work and were blabbering about multiple things during the time.





Met a few Fiatians for breakfast this Sunday and we spent some very good time together.



oh yes, did I tell you that I got the tyre in question (as reported earlier) replaced and it costed be zero rupees .



Cheers,
Pradeep

[pdma]

With the Insurance renewal coming up at the end of Feb 2017, my search for the best deal has just begun.
The current insurer is Royal Sundaram, and there were no claims from the last 2 years. The existing policy has Nil depreciation and I paid approximately 18,500/- last year for the renewal.
This year the best quote I received from them is Rs 20,000/-, which is Rs 1500/- more than what I paid last year, in-spite of having a greater percentage of no claim bonus .
I have submitted a few inquiry's and waiting for the quotations from other vendors, I will take a call only in the second week of Feb, which will leave me very good room to think, evaluate and make the choice.


Cheers,
Pradeep.

[pdma]

These are the current quotes I have received for my car. All the quotes are for NIL depreciation. Iam considering only these 4 vendors as they have cashless tie up with FASC in Hyderabad.

1) Future Genarali - IDV 5.33L, Quote - 21,500/- (No of Nil Dep Claims - 2, no key replacement raider, no RSA)
2) Royal Sundaram - IDV 7.56L, Quote - 19,500/- (No of Nil Dep Claims unlimited, key replacement, RSA is being offered as complimentary)
3) HDFC Ergo - IDV 7.56L, Quote - 19,900/- (No of Nil Dep Claims unlimited, no key replacement raider, no RSA)
4) Liberty Videocon - Quote awaited (Submitted an online query last week and called their help desk they said someone would call me back and I am still waiting)

* Key replacement raider is costing Rs150/-, this is a small amount considering Rs 5000/- I may need to shell out in case incase I loose the key.

Iam seriously failing to understand the rules FG plays by with, the first insurance (which was complimentary) was from FG and last year when I checked with them for renewal they shooed me off with a similar higher quote. That is when I landed with RS where I managed to get the best deal. With ample time available, lets see where I end up this year in regards to insurance.

Cheers,
Pradeep.